Afghanistan
Several years have passed since the 2001 US-led war against the Taliban, but Afghanistan remains unstable and is moving unsteadily toward democracy. Although presidential elections took place in October 2004 and parliamentary elections followed in the fall of 2005, broad national commitment to democratic rule is lacking. Similarly, despite the international community's unprecedented focus on women in Afghanistan—where for the first time women's rights were used as a justification for international intervention—their status remains virtually unchanged, their future uncertain. Nonetheless, there is hope for both democracy and the status of women in Afghanistan.
Inclusive Security’s Work in Afghanistan
The Initiative for Inclusive Security hosted a policy forum on increasing women’s engagement in security in Afghanistan at the Afghan Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Kabul in September 2007. The forum, co-hosted by the Canadian Embassy, followed a weeklong consultation with 25 proven Afghan women leaders from the government, the National Assembly, and civil society. The forum provided an opportunity for leaders to both present their recommendations and to exchange perspectives with international civilian representatives, including military and civilian officers, and representatives from international non-governmental organizations. The consultation, held in conjunction with the Karuna Center for Peacebuilding, built upon the efforts of the Afghan Women’s Network, an umbrella organization of more than 90 NGOs, to create a broad-based, sustainable coalition of women working in the security sector.Drawing on the success of female police units in Liberia and Afghanistan, The Initiative for Inclusive Security, in partnership with the Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs (INL) at the US Department of State and the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars, convened a consultation in June 2007 in Washington, DC to increase the recruitment of US policewomen. Female officers currently serving in Liberia and Afghanistan joined leaders of the National Center on Women and Policing, the National Association of Women Law Enforcement Executives, the International Association of Women Police, private contractors and others to improve incentives for women applicants, facilitating their recruitment, and improving outreach.
The future of Afghanistan depends upon recognizing and enhancing the critical role women play in securing their country and building a new democracy. Despite progress over the last five years, Afghan women continue to face significant obstacles to fully participating in reconstruction. In an effort to reverse this trend, from Feb. 24 to March 2, 2006, The Initiative for Inclusive Security and the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) invited 13 distinguished Afghan women leaders in government and civil society for a weeklong workshop, Inclusive Security: A Roadmap for Afghanistan.
Inclusive Security Consultations and Trainings
Afghanistan Consultation, September 2007
Wanted: US Policewomen for Overseas Missions, June 2007
A Roadmap to Afghanistan, February 2007
Inclusive Security Recommendations
Click here for recommendations developed during Colloquium 2008.
Click here for recommendations from the September 2007 consultation.
From Rhetoric to Reality: Afghan Women on the Agenda for Peace
Click here for the recommendations from the June 20, 2007, consultation convened by the Initiative for Inclusive Security and the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars, with support from the Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs (INL) of the U.S. Department of State.
Press Releases & Media Coverage
Leaders from Afghanistan, Colombia, Haiti, Israel, Liberia and Palestine to Convene in Cambridge, Mass. and Washington, D.C.
December 12, 2007
Women Leaders from Afghanistan Team Up with NATO and EP
February 22, 2007
A news link to the Afghan delegation speaking to the FEMM committee in the European Parliament:
Click here for text.
Click here for video.
Resources
Use our directory of women peace experts to find other women peace experts from Afghanistan.
Conflict Background
BBC Country Profile